TURNOVER ISN'T A PROBLEM

MIKE ANTHONY; Courant Staff WriterTHE HARTFORD COURANT

Jim Calhoun had nearly a week to process the various emotions and situations - the good and bad, the past and present - before he sat down Thursday at Gampel Pavilion for a State of the Huskies address that would unofficially close a season that officially ended last Friday with an upset loss to San Diego in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Sipping coffee, sitting casually and speaking optimistically, the UConn coach reflected for 90 minutes on a season that was encouraging in its entirety but disappointing in its ending.

So what now? Changes, Calhoun said. Changes in focus. Changes in personnel.

Basketball aside, Calhoun said some players have not met the academic and social responsibility standards he calls for and that overall change and commitment to what he calls the UConn "basketball culture" is needed for the program to live up to the lofty standards it set with national championships in 1999 and 2004.

"So if you see any movement within our roster, which, I'm telling you right now, you will . . ." Calhoun said. "Speculate all you want [about which players], but I think most of it will become pretty evident in the next week or two. . . . We will have a minimum of four scholarships for next year. We feel that life doesn't begin and end on the court. It's how we show ourselves as a basketball program.

"I do think we need a little bit of action to make the point to everybody where we are. What transpires over the next month or two will help everybody. On our side, we have made our mind up on a couple of situations. . . . None of these things are written in stone, but the chisel is ready to start doing that."

Calhoun's point is that the program and some of its players might be better off without one another.

The initial pressing question is whether Hasheem Thabeet will return for his junior season or opt for the NBA. Projected anywhere from a late lottery to late first-round pick, Thabeet will likely announce a decision in the next two weeks, Calhoun said. Thabeet, who is scheduled to watch a Celtics game and practice in person soon, must decide whether he can make an impact immediately or if he should wait on the money and develop at UConn for another year.

Also, A.J. Price will undergo surgery this morning to repair the left ACL he tore against San Diego. A portion of his patella tendon will be used to mend the ACL, and UConn is expected to issue a brief summary of the procedure today. Price, expected to be 100 percent in six months, will rehab at UConn this summer instead of returning home to Amityville, N.Y.

With that said, the status and/or health of two major players is out of UConn's hands. But Calhoun, while not specifying individuals, spoke repeatedly about change needing to occur elsewhere. The Huskies have two scholarships to give, and incoming freshmen Kemba Walker (a point guard and McDonald's All-American from New York) and Scottie Haralson (a wing and good spot-up shooter from Jackson, Miss.) will fill those spots. If Thabeet leaves, UConn will have another scholarship, and is looking at 6-foot-10 forward/center Ater Majok, from Sudan via Australia.

But Calhoun said there would be at least four new players next season, maybe five, meaning he expects up to three current players to leave the program.

Sophomore forward Curtis Kelly is the most likely to transfer. Indications are that another guard or wing will leave. As it stands now, there would be seven guards on the roster: Jerome Dyson, Craig Austrie, Doug Wiggins, Donnell Beverly, Price, Walker and Haralson. Should Nate Miles, a guard/forward from Toledo, Ohio, qualify academically, the Huskies would have nine perimeter players. Beverly was at the bottom of the guard rotation this season and must wonder whether that will change. East Hartford's Wiggins, a sophomore, has long been frustrated with his role, but also loves attending UConn.

The Huskies, working to finalize nonconference games with USC and Alabama that will help bolster their RPI, have not won a postseason game since 2006, when they were 30-4 and upset by George Mason in the Elite Eight.

"I don't know if we've quite gotten back to that status [by going 24-9 this season], but I don't think we're very far away," Calhoun said.

Calhoun reflected on his 22-year tenure in Storrs.

"The most wins the university ever had before 1986 was 23," he said. "We won 24 this year. So some perspective may be in order. . . . I think we're building, growing and could be terrific next year. But some things have to happen. To win 10 in a row [as UConn did this season] is a magnificent accomplishment. How did that evaporate? I think it's lack of focus."